Archive for the ‘individuals with autism’ Category

Common to all children with autism spectrum disorder are deficits in social and communication skills.

Autism Intervention Tactics are used for addressing and teaching social and communication skills to children with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism Intervention Tactics such as Autism Social Skills Stories ARE used to give the autistic child visual information in a manner they can understand about any situation that maybe struggling with, find confusing, or stressful.

Typically children with autism are visual thinkers and learners, meaning they think in pictures, making visual intervention Tactics an ideal autism tool.

Autism Intervention Tactics – Autism Social Skills Stories describe in detail the situation, behaviour or skill that they autistic child is struggling with and give focus the key points: these are the important social cues.

For example Autism Social Skills Stories give information visually with first person text and explain the reactions the individual with autism might expect to occur in the situation. Plus it will give the actions and reactions that might be expected of them, and why.

An autism social skills story answers the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW” and give an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of those around them, helping relieve anxieties and stress.

The goal of an autism social skills story is to increase the autistic person’s understanding of events and situations, therefore making them more comfortable in the situation, as well as suggesting some possibly appropriate responses to the situation.

The major issue for most individuals with autism is a lack of social skills deficits. This means that individuals with autism lack the ability to read facial expression and body language, which can cause some social misunderstandings.

For an individual with autism understanding that others have their own thoughts, feelings, plans, and points of view is difficult, consequently, this can lead to stress and confusion, however Intervention Tactics are designed to help address these issues.

Autism Intervention Tactics – Autism Social Skills Stories ARE an excellent autism resource for helping children with autism spectrum disorder gain vital social and communication.

The autism social skills story provides information in a well structured and consistent manner, using visual images and structured sentence types. The social skills story acts like a role model, a visual plan of the skill, situation or behaviour being addressed.

A social skills story can help with various issues for example: Making friends, sharing, using the toilet, potty training, hygiene difficulties as well as other issues like shopping, visiting the dentist or getting a haircut etc.

Social Storiesgive the autistic child direct contact with the appropriate social skills information, through pictures and text as opposed to speech or observation, which appears to be a noticeable weakness in autism spectrum disorder.

To learn more about how an autism social skills story can help your child visit:

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder find social skills difficult and confusing this is due to their autistic deficits

What are Autistic Deficits?

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder which affects how an individual processes information, thinks, acts and reacts. The characteristics of autism are deficits in social, communication and imagination skills.

Typically children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are visual thinkers and learners, which means they think in pictures, therefore Visual Supports are of more benefit.

Visual Supports like social stories are used as a means of communication and as a method of support when teaching and re-enforcing skills and behaviours that the ASD child is finding difficult.

So: How do Social Stories Help Children with Autism Learn Social Skills

The answer is YES they can. Introduced around twenty years ago social stories are now one of the major Visual Supports used in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder and related conditions.

Social stories are short descriptive pieces of text which use visual images to describe a situation or skill using appropriate key points. Much like a comic script the social skills story can be easily implemented and needs no formal training to use.

Social stories are a role model or visual step by step plan of a skill or situation. Social stories should follow a set formula of sentence type: Descriptive, Directive, Perspective and control sentences in a manner the child with ASD will be able to follow easily.

Typically a social skills story will answer the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW” and give an insight into the thoughts and feeling of others which is an area of marked weakness in most individuals with Autism.

Generally any treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder should be visual, easy to implement, and convenient for use in the home, as well as a t school and college.

A social skills story will help with transitions, changes to routines which is another area of difficulty for the vast majority of individuals with Autism, as well as learning new skills, changing behaviours, re-enforcing already learnt skills, in-fact almost all situations and skills the child with ASD is struggling with.

When we think about reading minds we would probably think more of psychics or fair ground gypsies. This is not the case though all typically developing children and adults have the ability to read minds; this is called the theory of mind.

It is the ability to look at another person and guess what they may be thinking or feeling by looking at the person’s facial expression and body language and guessing at what that person is feeling or thinking about this is the theory of mind.

The theory of mind is nevertheless complicated our minds are comprised of emotions, beliefs, desires, perceptions, and intentions. By using these various attributes within our own minds we can predict how another person is feeling.

The ability to read minds in autism is missing. When looking at Autism spectrum and mind reading we need to first understand the deficits associated with those individuals with autism. These deficits with autism are social, communication, imagination and interaction deficits and are present in varying degrees in all individuals with autism.

Individuals with autism have social skills deficits in non verbal communication or mind reading. They lack the ability to read faces and body language; this autism social skills deficits can however be helped through the use of autism social skills stories for teaching those individuals with autism social skills deficits.

Autism social skills stories are used by experts and parents to teach social skills to children with autism spectrum disorder and adults such as Autism spectrum and mind reading. Written by experts in autism, autism social skills stories use appropriate language and images to teach social skills and behaviors like: happiness is a good feeling and when other children are upset.

Autism social skills stories teach children with autism spectrum disorder how to act in social situations, what to expect and suggest appropriate actions, reactions and behaviors as well as explain visually what to expect from others and what others expect of them.

Endorsed by experts download autism social skills stories for autism from

Visual supports are part of our everyday lives, we read newspapers, books, use the internet, watch TV, look at road maps, signs and so on. They are important, the vast majority of us rely on visual supports in our jobs, at school, college and so on, and many of us could not function as effectively without visual supports.

Visual supports can be used to help people with Autistic spectrum disorder and related conditions in much the same way.

Most individuals with autism are visual thinkers and learners, meaning they think in pictures. Therefore presenting information in a visual manner can help encourage and support the communication skills, language development, social skills development, encourage positive behaviours and the ability to process information in people with autistic spectrum disorder.

Autistic spectrum disorder is a lifelong condition which affects a person’s ability in three main areas of development: social interactions, communication – verbal and nonverbal and imagination skills. This is often referred to as the triad of autistic social impairments.

The triad of autistic social impairments is found in all individuals with autism, but to varying degrees dependant on the individuals own level of development. There is no cure for autism, but there are various methods and treatments for autism spectrum available which can help those with autism address the triad of autistic social impairments.

Having a lack of social interaction, communication and imagination skills can be confusing and lead to social isolation and even bullying in many cases. For children with autism it is vital that they are taught appropriate social, communication and imagination skills directly. This is achieved using autistic visual supports.

So autistic visual supports what are they and where can you find them? There are various treatments for autism spectrum like autism social skills stories, PECS, flash cards, schedules, communication boards and so on all very good autistic visual supports and all readily available for most parents of autistic children.

The internet is the perfect place to begin, sites run by behaviour specialists, O.T’s, Language specialists, clinics and so on offer parents of autistic children the chance to order and download various autistic visual supports sometimes for free or for a small fee.

Probable one of the major visual supports for children with autism is autism social skills stories. A good source of autism social skills stories is found at: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Autism social skills stories are used to teach and encourage social interaction, communication and imagination skills and behaviours as well as address other difficulties that the person on the autism spectrum scale may be struggling with such as personal hygiene issues, school related difficulties and so on.

Social skills stories answer the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as give an insight into the thoughts, emotions and feelings of others.

Using visual images and first person text the social skills story breaks the skill down into relevant social key points giving the person on the autism spectrum scale a chance to rehearse the skill making it more predictable, therefore reducing anxieties, confusion and stress.

Social skills stories are easy to edit; personalize and print making them convenient and easy to use. To find out more about autistic visuals supports what are they visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Individuals with autismtypically HAVE difficulties with social interactions, such as reduced responsiveness and or a disinterest in other people.

They may appear selfish and rude and be unable to communicate effectively with others. This is due to “The Theory of Mind”, which affects how individuals with autism socially interact, communicate, thinks, act and react to those around them.

For example the characteristics of autism spectrum can include:

Children on the autism spectrum;will not normally adopt the anticipatory posture or raise their hands to be carried or picked up.

Children on the autism spectrum are not normally cuddly babies, in-fact most babies with autism will stiffen or resist being held, they normally avoid snuggling up. They will normally prefer to be held facing outwards with their back to the person holding them.

Infants with autism will sometimes not recognize their own name or be inconsistent in recognizing it.

Probably the most noticeable of the characteristics of autism is the individuals lack of eye contact, a typically developing child will give and maintain eye contact, an infant with autism will look away quickly and avoid eye contact.

A typically developing child may stare into the mother’s eye noticing their own reflection, an infant with autism will show no interest in their reflection and choose not to stare or maintain any eye to eye contact.

Generally children on the autism spectrum will not pay much attention to the typical growing up games like peep-a-boo and pat-a-cake, preferring solitary play.

A distinct lack of social interaction skills can be the first alarm bell for many parents of a child with autism.

All children on the autism spectrumWILL have impaired autism social skills, however the degree of autism social skills will vary dependent on the individual.

Social skills development resources for autism social skills training can be affective, in helping your child on the spectrum better cope and manage their behaviors, thoughts and feelings. One such way is introducing autism social skills resources such as visual intervention strategies.

Probably the most popularof the autism social skillsresources is autism social skills stories. These are an excellent proven technique for assisting an infant with autism with the development of social skills.

Autism social skills resources like: Autism social skill stories provide the child on the spectrum with support and an understanding by answering the ever important “wh” questions who, what, where, why and when as well as “HOW”. As well as giving an insight into the thoughts and feelings of others and try to explain what they can expect from other as well as what others will be expecting of them.

Introducing social skills development resources for autism like autism social skills stories early is going to be beneficial; however social stories are flexible and can be introduced at any point.

Typically most children on the autism spectrum prefer repetition and sameness and will not like any changes to routines or patterns. By introducing social stories you can help the child on the spectrum feel more comfortable with skills and routines making things feel more routine which will reduce stress and meltdowns.

Autism social skills stories HELP teach social skills like using the bathroom, good eating habits, respecting personal space, transitions like starting preschool or school, as well as other skills like saying Hi and thank you and accepting changes to routines.

All helping your autistic infant being accepted within their own peer group as well as within today’s society…

To download autism social stories visit one of our many sites all specializing in autism and asperger social skills stories as well as offering friendly support advice and help

To understand what causes autistic behaviour issues it is important to have an understanding of autism.

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects how individuals with autism processes information, thinks, acts, re-acts, behaves and processes sensory input or stimuli. The main symptoms of autism ARE social skills deficits in social awareness skills, communication and imagination skills and behaviours.

It is these social skills deficits that ARE the significant factor in what causes autistic behaviour issues. Typically children on the autism spectrum have communication difficulties and may lack the ability to ask or respond to things which their typically developing peers WILL treat as “normal”

For example recess a typically developing child WILL probably enjoy the freedom of recess but for children on the autism spectrum recess may be uncomfortable, stressful and confusing! This may lead to inappropriate behaviour around recess.

For a child with autism the sheer chaos of recess is upsetting, a child with autism WILL prefer sameness, order and routine and recess is none of these things. Children with autism have difficulties in understanding that not everyone shares their interest or feels that same way they do fully.

By taking a look into what causes autistic behaviour issues we can begin to unravel what it is that our own child with autism may be getting upset or confused by. Careful observation of a child with autism CAN help you to determine exactly what is troubling your child.

There are various supports for autism that WILL help a child on the spectrum OVERCOME many of their social skills deficits. Probably one of the most significant of these supports for autism is social skills stories.

These ARE short descriptive pieces of text that describe a situation or skill in terms of the relevant social cues. We know that the vast majority of individuals with autism ARE VISUAL thinkers and learners which means that they think in pictures and language is used as secondary.

It is important therefore to USE supports for autism which ARE VISUAL like social stories. Social stories for autistic behaviour difficulties focus on a skill, situation or behaviour that the child on the spectrum is struggling with and breaks it down into small easy to understand sections using images/pictures and first person text.

The social skills story CAN act much like a visual plan or framework of the skill allowing the child on the spectrum a chance to rehearse the skill. So going back to our recess example earlier, introducing a social story for recess WILL HELP the child with autism prepare for and understand recess. The social skills story can be looked at each day before recess, helping the child with autism feel more comfortable once recess arrives.

The social skills story CAN BE USED for a wide variety of difficulties, such as self-help skills, communication deficits, hygiene skills, behaviours and many more, in-fact almost anything the child with autism is finding hard.

Typically social stories answer the ever important “wh” question – who, what, why, where and when as well as “HOW” and WILL offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most individuals with autism.

Individuals with autism ARE typically “Visual Thinkers – Visual Learners”, this means that they think in pictures and images and use speech / words as a secondary language.

“I think in pictures. Words are like a second language to me…when somebody speaks to me, his words are instantly translated into pictures… One of the most profound mysteries of autism has been the remarkable ability of most autistic people to excel at visual spatial skills while performing so poorly at verbal skills.” (Grandin, 1995).

Therefore presenting information and guidance visually will have a much better impact on individuals with autism. There are a number of visual supports for autism which WILL help your child on the spectrum learn skills and behaviours that they find confusing, stressful or simply do not understand.

Autistic Visual Supports like: Social Skills Stories, Communication Picture Cards (flash cards), PECS and so on CAN be quickly and easily implemented and need NO formal training to use.

Social Skills Stories are short descriptive visual representations of a skill or behaviour. The social story breaks the skill down into smaller components, removes and un-necessary fluff or language and explains How and why something happens.

The social story answers the “wh” questions – who, what, where, why and when and provides an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most individuals with autism.

Autistic Visual Supports – Communication Picture Cards (flash cards)ARE small laminated cards depicting an image or skill. For eample the Communication Picture Cards can be USED as an exchange – the child with ASD hands over a picture card in retuen for the item on the card -for example an apple at snack time and so on.

The Communication Picture Cards are also USED on visual timetables, as pointers around the home or in school, on chices boards, now and next boards and as a communication tool.

To learn more about Autistic Visual Supports and how they can benefit your child with ASD visit today and download Social Skills Stories which can be adapted to suit individual needs, no two children are the smane and we all use different terminology with our kids, therefore it is important that the social story you choose is editable.

Typically children with autism will have social deficits, these are common in autism and will mean that the child may need direct help to teach them social awareness skills and behaviours.

Social stories are short descriptive stories which give information to individuals that struggle to understand social situations. For example social situations such as: asking questions, respecting personal space and making friends.

They are also used to teach social awareness and help with communication difficulties.

So what does a social skills story look like?

It should be visual, using visual images and short sentences to describe the skill or situation.

The autism social skills story should provide positive re-enforcement and information

The autism social skills story can be used to prepare for upcoming changes, or social situations and events

The autism social skills story should focus on the key points and remove un-necessary language

The autism social skills story should be written in first person text and always be from the autistic individuals perspective.

The autism social story should be portable, printable, editable and easy to implement.

All autistic individuals should be able to use social stories to help them cope with skills and situations that they find difficult.

Modifications can be made to make the social story easier for individuals with autism to use, we all use different terminology, and no two individuals with autism will ever be the same.

How do I use social skills stories with my child?

The social skills story can be easily implemented and needs NO formal training to use.

Typically children on the spectrum are visual thinkers, this means that they think in pictures and will generally use speech as their secondary language. The social story uses images or pictures with small pieces of text to describe a situation or skill.

The skill is broken into small easy to understand sections, and appropriate images are used to visually show the skill in a manner that is easier to comprehend. The social story should answer the ever important “wh” questions – who, what, why, when and where as wll as “HOW” and will offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is a marked area of weakness in most children with autism.

After careful observations parents and teachers should be able to determine which activities, skills and behavioours the child on the spectrum is struggling with and an appropriate social story can be introduced.

Parents and teachers can implement the social skills story to help the child on the spectrum learn or to re-enforce a skill. The social story will act like a visual framework or plan of the skill or behaviour.

To learn more about social stories and to obtain appropriate downloads visit:

Auditory autistic processing issues ARE generally associated with several autistic characteristics. Typically for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder social awareness and communication problems ARE common autistic characteristics.

Auditory autistic processing issues CAN also lead to anxiety or confusion in social situations, inattentiveness, and poor speech comprehension.

However there are methods parents and teachers can adopt which WILL HELP children with autism understand and learn social awareness and communication skills.

The vast majority of children with autism ARE VISUAL thinkers and learners which means that they use visual images as their first language and speech/words (auditory) as a second language.

Therefore many parents and teachers USE VISUAL strategies – such as visual flash cards, PECS, visual support cards and autism social skills stories.

Visual flash cards ARE used as a means of communication; they work particularly well with children on the spectrum with poor or no speech. The visual flash cards are used as communication prompts as well as social cues and communication cards.

Visual support cards ARE also a very good means of communication they are used to help the child on the spectrum understand and learn social and communication skills.

Autism social skills stories ARE probably one of the most significant resources used with children on the spectrum. They answer the ever important “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW” and WILL generally give the child on the spectrum an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others, which is an area of marked weakness in most children on the spectrum.

The social skills story acts like a visual framework or plan of the skill or communication difficulty and will give the child on the spectrum an idea of what is expected of them and in return what they should expect from others.

For many parents and teachers their child’s Auditory autistic processing issues CAN be greatly improved when visual strategies are adopted.

To learn more about any of the above visual strategies please visit any of the following sites:

The triad of autistic impairments or social skills deficits; means your child WILL struggle with social, communication and imagination skills – like hygiene and self-help skills.

Therefore Autism hygiene and self-help skills will need direct teaching. This can be achieved using visual supports such as – social stories, visual social story cards, flash cards and PECS

For example; Jason is a fourteen year old autistic teen, he is of average intelligence and has good verbal skills.

Jason is going through puberty and has started to sweat, which can be quite unpleasant for those around Jason.

Jason’s lack of personal hygiene has become an issue in class with his peers. But for Jason a lack of personal hygiene is NOT an issue and he is oblivious to the need for better hygiene he appears NOT TO NOTICE the name calling.

But Jason is becoming distressed and confused by the social isolation he is now experiencing.

As a result Jason has become prone to aggressive outburst, due to his lack of understanding of the social isolation he is suffering, this is having a knock on affect his peers now stay away from Jason – one because he is smelling bad and two because he is becoming aggressive. This circle needs to be broken, but for those with autism it can be difficult lacking social knowledge and social skills can make it difficult for an autistic teen like Jason to understand and read other peoples thoughts, body language and verbal and non-verbal communications.

Teaching autism social skills like hygiene and self-help skills USING autism social stories is beneficial and works.

Autism social stories ARE descriptive Intervention Strategies which have been used for around twenty years to HELP those with autism better understand and learn social, communication and imagination skills and behaviors.

Social skills stories, like the one INTRODUCED to Jason can answer the “wh” questions – who, what, why, where and when and “HOW” as well as give an insight into the communications – verbal and non-verbal, thoughts, feelings and emotions shown and expressed by others.

Which in Jason’s case was the sweat making him smelly, which caused social isolation and the knock on affects, the autism social skills story helped show Jason how he could right the situation and thus stop the social isolation which was making him un-happy.

The autism social skills story was used to explain to Jason why he was sweating and why this was causing his peers to stay clear of him and how he could put things right.

Teaching autism social skills like hygiene and self-help skills can and is made easier using social stories. Social stories use visual images/pictures to show the skill or situation in detail as well as first person text in a manner that most autistic individuals CAN understand.

To learn more about visual social skills story cards and autism social skills stories visit:

Commonly individuals with autismprefer routines and structure, and can become stressed when things alter or they misunderstand or misread situations and skills that typically developing people cope with or think normal.

For example a visit to the dentist or getting a haircut, as a typically developing person we understand the need for dental hygiene etc. But for many autistic people sensory processing issues can make a simple dental visit very stressful and in many cases even painful.

Hygiene is an essential life skill that we learn as we develop and grow. But for individuals with autism hygiene and self-help skills are not always naturally learnt and in most cases WILL need direct teaching.

Commonly autistic people have social skills deficits this can make learning communication, social skills and behaviors difficult. Generally those with autism are visual thinkers and learners, this means that they think in pictures.

Consequently, learning and support tools for autism should be visual, for example visual social story cards, PECS, flash cards and autism social skills stories.

Teaching hygiene and self-help skills to individuals with autism is made easier using learning and support tools for autism like autism social skills stories. Which are predominantly visual with short pieces of appropriate text, set out in a specific formula of sentence types.

Autism social skills stories were first introduced around twenty years ago to help with communication difficulties, today social stories are probably one of the most significant visual intervention strategies available.

Autism social skills stories give the autistic individual instruction, cues and answers to the ever important questions – who, what, where why and when as well as HOW.

Social stories also give the autistic individual an insight into the thoughts and feeling of others which is an area of marked weakness in those with autism.

For example during the teenage years the autistic individual will begin to go through puberty, they will sweat and need to take care of their personal hygiene. An autism social skills story can explain why they are going through puberty the changes they can expect and how they will be expected to act and react to situations and circumstances that are in some cases out of their individual control.

An autism social skills story can help those with autism overcome their fears and anxieties by giving them pictorial support and cues, showing what is happening and why. Then giving the autistic individual coping strategies and instruction on how to perform the task or deal with the activity or situation.

Like for example brushing their teeth, why we do this, what the outcome of not brushing your teeth could be, as well as how to brush their teeth…resulting in good oral hygiene and less cavities.

To help individuals with autism gain healthy hygiene habits and gain healthy habits in autism use autism social skills stories.

Download autism social skills stories for teaching hygiene and self-help skills to individuals with autism and other social skills stories from

Unlike typically developing children a child on the spectrum WILL NOT naturally develop self-care skills, and WILL NEED direct teaching.

Typically individuals with autism ARE visual thinkers and learners, which means that they think in pictures and WILL respond better to teaching materials and strategies which ARE VISUAL.

Using visual support to teach hygiene in autism is essential in most instances, typically developing youngsters will people watch and pick up on self-care skills, but children with autism DO NOT people watch and in most instances WILL NOT naturally learn self-care skills. A good social skills story can HELP the child on the spectrum learn essential hygiene skills.

For most individuals with autism hygiene can be confusing and in some cases even a painful experience! This is due to social skills deficits and sensory processing difficulties.

Social skills deficits ARE present in ALL individuals with autism, but to varying degrees dependant on where the individual is on the autism spectrum scale.

Using visual support to teach hygiene in autism is beneficial. Visual supports such as “social skills stories” ARE USED to HELP children with autism understand and deal with situations or skills that they find difficult or confusing like: puberty, washing their teeth, visiting a dentist and so on.

The social skills story answers the “wh” questions who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW” and gives the young person with autism an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others, which is an area of marked weakness in those on the spectrum.

Social skills stories will normally be written in first person text and is always written from the point of view of the young person with autism.

No two people on the spectrum are ever going to be the same and we all use different terminology, therefore the social skills story needs to be editable and easy to tweak.

To learn more about social stories for hygiene in autism and to see an example of social stories for hygiene in autism visit:

Autism social stories ARE an Intervention Strategy that is USED to HELP children on the autism spectrum scale learn and cope with skills, situations and behaviours that they ARESTRUGGLING to mater or understand.

Autism social stories CAN be implemented easily, need NO formal training to use.

Social stories answer the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as”HOW” and give an insight into the thoughts feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in children on the autism spectrum.

Following a set formula of sentence type a social skills story should be VISUAL, typically individuals with autism ARE visual thinkers and learners which means that they think in pictures, rather like a DVD or Video playing their thoughts in their head.

Consequently, social stories ARE visual, much like a comic script detailing the skills or behaviour with first person text and relevant images/pictures.

A good social skills story will describe the skill or situation in terms of relevant “social cues” and act like a role model or VISUAL PLAN. Helping individuals with autism get a better understanding of what is expected of them and what they CAN expect from others, this reduces stress and confusion and cuts down on meltdowns and inappropriate behaviours!

For example due to social skills deficits most children with autism struggle with social situations like making friends, shopping trips, talking on the telephone, asking questions, holding two-way conversations, going to the dentist, sharing and so on.

What are social skills deficits ?

Common to all with autism – social skills deficits affect:

Social skills

Communication skills both verbal and non-verbal

And Imagination skills

Using autism social stories as an Intervention Strategy CAN greatly improve social skills deficits

The social skills story is convenient, can be edited, personalized, printed and can be tweaked to suit ALL individuals on the spectrum.

Autism Spectrum Syndrome disability is unfortunately misunderstood. The term autism spectrum disorder is an umbrella term used to cover a wide range of conditions. It is believed that around 25% of people with ASD will have accompanying learning disabilities. Regardless of functioning, typically all people with an Autism Spectrum Syndrome disability will almost certainly have difficulties with social skills, imagination skills, behaviors and display communication difficulties, this is often called the triad of autistic impairments or social skills deficits.

Autism Spectrum Syndrome is a life-long condition that is either present from birth or from early childhood.

Listed below are a few of the autism characteristics that may be present in children with autism. However, typically those with high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome may only display a few of the autism characteristics listed behaviors while others on the lower end of the autism scale may display all the behaviors.

Having Autism Spectrum Disorder can mean:

Being unable to cope appropriately with social situations.

Self-stimulating behavior, often referred to as “stimming” this can include behaviors such as: flicking fingers, flapping arms, rocking back and forth and in some cases self-injury like head banging or slapping.

Communication difficulties – this can include asking questions, joining in conversations an finding appropriate topics of conversation.

Obsessions with certain facts or objects; for example timetables.

Asking questions they already know answers to.

Obsession with a routine that if broken may cause distress, this is a known area of weakness in children with autism

Difficulty forming relationships with others –making friends can be difficult for children on the spectrum

Misunderstanding people’s feelings and emotions – difficulties with “mind reading” or reading peoples facial expression and body language is lacking in children on the spectrum

Problems with creativity and imagination are also a cause for concern in children on the spectrum. Typically children with autism are not spontaneous and will struggle with make believe and spontaneity preferring rigid learnt responses.

Typically many children on the spectrum will have a short concentration span.

Many autistic people are naturally gifted in certain areas, many autistic people are extremely gifted when using their hands constructing, painting and in music.

Those individuals with Asperger syndrome tend to be on the higher end of the autism scale. This set of individuals with Aspeger syndrome are generally average or above average intelligence. Those individuals on the lower end of the autism scale may also display learning disabilities, this set of individuals may have poor communication skills and in many cases language may never develop.

In the classroom typically a student with autistic spectrum disorder may have difficulties forming social relationships and following school rules. This can cause issues within the classroom for teachers and other students. A student with autistic spectrum disorder may need extra support in school to help them cope. This help can come in the form of visual intervention strategies like: PECS, visual support cards, flash cards, social skills stories, visual timetables, now and next boards and so on…

Looking into what is Asperger Syndrome?
What is Asperger Syndrome?

Asperger syndrome has been described as “high functioning Autism.”
People with Asperger Syndrome will generally not have any learning disability. In many cases a child with Asperger Syndrome may not receive a diagnosis until they are older. Unlike a diagnosis of autism which is generally given before the child reaches three years of age. Indeed some people can go through their whole lives having Asperger Syndrome and not receive a diagnosis, until they are in their 40’s or older.

Asperger syndrome was first identified by Hans Asperger in the 1940’s; some of the characteristics of Asperger syndrome are:

Lack of empathy

Naive, inappropriate one sided interactions

Little or no ability to form friendships

Pedantic or repetitive speech

Poor non verbal communication

Intense absorption in certain subjects

Clumsy and ill coordinated movements and odd postures.

It is also apparent that those individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome also display the triad of autistic impairments – social skills deficits, as with individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Social communication: knowing what to say to other people and understanding what they are saying to you.

Social understanding: knowing what to do when you are with others or behaving inappropriately (apparently oblivious to social rules).

Imagination: pretend play, make believe and fantasy.

People with Asperger’s Syndrome will generally fulfill their potential and may go on to university, have a job and live a relatively “normal” life, get married and have a family.

Overcoming the triad of autistic impairment – social skills deficits can be as difficult for the individual with Asperger’s as it can be for those individuals with mild an lower functioning autism

Therefore overcoming social skills deficits can become a primary focus for all people with ASD and their families. Overcoming social skills deficits can be achieved using autism supports like visual intervention strategies such as social skills stories and visual support cards.

Looking at visual intervention strategies – autism supports

Generally people with ASD are visual thinkers and learners, which means they think and learn in pictures. Consequently, visual intervention strategies are beneficial because they use visual means of communication, such as images, pictures, graphs and so on.

An individual on the spectrum will be better able to understand and follow instruction and information when it is presented visually, rather than written or oral command. Strategies such as social stories use visual images along with appropriate first person text to explain a situation or skill that the individual on the spectrum is struggling with.

For example: Autism and making friends, generally children on the spectrum struggle to make and maintain friendships. A social story can act as a role model or step by step plan showing children on the spectrum the social rules they are expected to follow when attempting to make friends, like for example how to approach another child, how to start a conversation and so on…

For many children with autism social stories are a life line, helping them overcome many difficulties. Many parents trust social stories to help them overcome hurdles such as puberty, relationships, and transitions etc…

Social skills stories can answer the ever important “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW” and offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others this is a marked area of weakness for many children with autism.

Generally social skills stories are in word format making them easy to edit, no two individuals with autism are ever the same and we all use different terminology, therefore social stories need to be editable. They should also be easy to print making them portable and convenient to use anywhere and anytime.

To learn more about social skills stories and how they benefit children with Autism Spectrum Syndrome disability, as well as other autism supports like visual support cards visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

One of the biggest problems that children with autism face are difficulties with social interactions and communication skills.

Common to all individuals with autism ARE difficulties with non-verbal communication as well as with speech and language.

For the autistic child the ability to predict, or read others thoughts, feelings and emotions “the ability to mind read” is also missing this is often referred to as “mind blindness”

Typically developing children learn naturally through observation and interaction how to predict or guess, through watching a combination of facial expression, tone and body language, which helps them to decide what the other person may be thinking or feeling.

However, due to “mind blindness” individuals with autism lack this naturally developed skill which can lead to social mistakes and blunders even for those individuals with high functioning autism and asperger syndrome.

And of cause social mistakes and blunders can lead to hurt feelings and asking inappropriate questions. The autistic child may also act oddly or generally open themselves up to hostility, teasing, bullying and social isolation.

Sometimes the autistic child may appear not to hear what has been said to them, they will often fail to respond to their name and can sometimes be indifferent to any attempts of communication with them.

This can be upsetting for parents and educators of children with autism.

No matter where on the autism scale your child is, by careful observation you may determine which way your child communicates, this will enable you as the parent or educator to build on this strength.

For example, if you child with autism is non-verbal, rather than communicating with them using words, try using visual methods of communication such as gestures.

Typically children with autism are visual thinkers and learners meaning they think in pictures rather than through oral or written information.

Sometimes a child with autism may use some of the following to communicate: crying, taking the adults hand to the thing they want, looking at what they want, reaching, using pictures and echolalia.

Echolalia is the repetition of other people’s words and is a common with the autistic child. Some autistic children will constantly repeat a rhyme or something they heard on TV.

Echolalia is a good sign it means speech is developing, in time the child may repeat something that was said to them, like drink or toilet.

Developing communication with your autistic child will be a slow process, but eventually you will make progress.

Autistic children tend to be visual learners, using pictures and images is a good way to communicate what you are expecting of them or wanting from them.

For, example at dinner time a picture or image of the family sitting around the table and a plate of food will tell the child it is time to eat.

You can introduce autism social skills stories used for autism social training to help with this…A good well written social skills story will have high pictorial content as well as text.

These short pieces of text, normally one page long will have pictorial cues as to what is happening and what the child can expect from others as well as what others are going to expect from them. In time the autistic child will recognize the social stories and will naturally re-act in the manner the social story depicts.

For example…At dinner time a social skills story may have a picture of the family sitting around the table…a plate, cutlery, maybe a cup, some food…The adult can show the autistic child the story with the colorful images and they can then read the short descriptive pieces of text will pointing to the appropriate image.

…These autism social skills stories used for autism social training are normally editable and printable so they can be used time and time again, in-fact they can be used for every situation you need help with.

These social skills stories act as a role model or visual plan and can become like a best friend to the autistic child giving the clear and precise instructions on how to act in all situations. Plus they are a fantastic communication device for a parent-giving you the tools you need to help communicate with your autistic child.

A typically developing child move through a range of developmental milestones, for example: A typically developing baby will stare or gaze at object and things that catch their eyes; he/she will turn towards a voice, grasp fingers and show facial expressions like smiling.

However the typical stages of development are different in babies that are autistic. Here we take a closer look at…autism spectrum disorder and social development:

With autistic babies research shows that they prefer objects to faces, lack eye contact and show no interest in social interactions.

Autistic toddlers and children with autism tend to prefer to play and be alone. They may resist cuddles, still lack any interest in others or faces. Lack eye contact and still show no interest in social interactions.

Typically children with autism do not respond or show affection in the same manner as a normally developing youngster. For many parents their child’s detachment can be quite upsetting and stressful.

In autism spectrum disorder social development is not learnt naturally and needs direct teaching. Generally all individuals with autism spectrum disorder lack the theory of mind, the ability to see things from another’s perspective, or learn appropriate social and communication skills and behaviors.

As a typically developing being we watch and interpret the thoughts, moods, feelings and emotions of those around us by reading their facial, body language and tone of voice this is the theory of mind, an autistic youngster will not do this.

Generally, individuals with autism spectrum disorder lack these interpretation skills, an inability that leaves them unable to predict or understand other people’s thoughts, actions and reactions.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder normally prefer structured routines; and can react negatively even aggressively when any routine changes. It is also not uncommon for individuals with autism spectrum disorder to display self-stimulatory behavior, self-injury, withdrawal in overwhelming situations and sensory processing issues.

It is not possible to cure autism, but there are a wide variety of treatments for autism available that can help address the social skills deficits displayed by individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

One of the treatments for autism available is social stories, widely used as a tool for improving autism social development.

Research suggests significant improvements in autism spectrum disorder and social development in those children with autism where a social story has been implemented.

A social story is a short descriptive story that uses visual images and appropriate first person language, to break down the skills or situation that the autistic person is struggling with.

The skills or situation is broken into small easy to understand stages, the key social cues and images are used to help show the autistic person the “wh” questions (who, where, why, when and what) giving them a clear no frill explanation of the skill.

Like a visual framework helping them see what to expect, and what others will be expecting of them, making them more comfortable and able to cope, thus reducing negative and aggressive behavior.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex disorder, affecting how the individual thinks, acts, communicates and behaves. This is due to social skills deficits which are always present in individuals with autism.

There is no cure for autism but there are treatments for autism and autism products available to you which can help treat the symptoms of autism – social skills deficits, making life a whole lot easier!

One of the primary treatments for autism is:social skills stories Developed twenty years ago social skills stories excellent at helping with the symptoms of autism, used to help pave the way for positive behaviours, teach new skills, aid communication difficulties, help with transitions, changes to routines, unexpected occurrences and help autistic children see things from another persons perspective.

For many parents with autistic children finding autism resources and products as well as treatments for autism is difficult, but we think we have found the solution here at autismsocialstories.com

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There are various treatments for autism available at autismsocialstories.com like visual support cards: Used to help with communication difficulties as well as teach and re-enforce skills and behaviours. Visual support cards can be used for visual schedules, now and next boards, choosing boards as well as reminders for things such as snack time, toilet time, hometime and so on…

There is no cure for autism, but life has just got a whole lot easier; with autism products like: autism books, autism educational resources, autism clothing and so on…

Whatever you need is all in one convenient place at autismsocialstories.com find our treatments for autism and autism products and autism resources all in one place.

For individuals with autism life can be stressful, sensory processing issues can affect an individuals sense of self as well as the other senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell by using treatments for autism like social skills stories, visual support cards and other autism products in our autism store you can help your child with autism deal with issues like sensory processing issues, as well as any other issues and troubles which can arise.

For people with autism learning self help hygiene skills can sometimes be problematic. This is due to deficits in social skills which is a common symptom of autism.Â

As typically developing individuals we naturally learn hygiene routines from watching our parents, our peers and from our environment etc., this is not the case for individuals with autism and direct teaching is necessary.

Typically people with autism have sensory processing issues also a common symptom of autism, having autism also affects the way individuals with autism process information, think, react also act and behave.

A child with ASD that has developed sufficient self-help skills is more likely to be integrated into a mainstream classroom, and less likely to be teased for inappropriate behaviours.

Research shows us that the majority of children with autism are visual thinkers and learners, meaning they think in pictures. Therefore any Intervention Strategies used for children with autism to provide information or instruction is generally better when presented visually.

For example Intervention Strategies which ARE visual such visual support cards, PECS, and social stories ARE USED with positive results. Probably the most popular Intervention Strategy for learning self help hygiene skills in autism is Social Stories.

Social stories are a tool for improving positive behaviours and skills in a child with ASD. A social skills story is a short descriptive explanation in visual format and first person text used as a visual plan or framework of a skill or behaviour that needs teaching or mastering.

A social skills story is much like a comic strip conversation. The social skills story breaks the skill into smaller easier to understand sections and should focus on the key social cues, answering the important â€œwhâ€ questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as â€œHOWâ€ and give an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others.

Social Stories also provide the ASD individual with possible solutions and suggestions as well as showing them what others are expecting of them, as well as what the ASD individual can expect from others.

Learning self help hygiene skills in autism using Social Stories has proven effective. Developed twenty years ago social skills stories can be implemented to help with not only self help and hygiene skills but also other social or communication skills the ASD individual may be struggling with.

There are many aspects of an autistic child’s environment and everyday activities which will benefit from visual supports for autism.

Using social skills stories – Social stories are word and picture-based stories, much like a comic strip conversation, written to help the child with autism understand and feel more comfortable with skills, activities, communication and social situations.

Social stories are normally written in a specific manner, from the autistic child’s point of view and always using first person text and visual images. By answering the important “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as giving an insight into how other people may feel or think.

Using visual schedules – Visual schedules are a set of pictures that communicate a series of activities or the steps of a specific activity. A visual schedule can help the child with autism understand and manage their daily activities, which reduces stress and anxiety.

Using visual supports in autism such as flash cards – A common problem for children with autism spectrum disorder is their ability to communicate. Flash cards are a strategy which can help to increase vocabulary, promote language development, and strengthen communication skills when teaching.

All of these strategies are useful for individuals with autism and related conditions.

To learn more about how social skills stories can benefit your child with an ASD and gain immediate downloads of social stories for autistic children visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Where you will find a selection of social skills stories for autistic children and young people

To learn more about visual supports in autism such as flash cards and visual schedules visit:

Social skills stories are designed and written following a set pattern of sentence types and visual images to describe a situation or skill using appropriate social cues.

A social skills story should describe what happens in a specific social situation in a structured and consistent manner.

Generally autistic individuals are visual thinkers and learners, meaning they think in pictures. Consequently, an appropriate social skills story should be visual, the vast majority of autistic individuals respond better to visual information and instruction.

Social skills stories are visual strategies using images and appropriate first person text. Each social skills story should be written from the ASD individual’s point of view.

The social story answers the “wh” questions (who, why, where. when and what) as well as giving an insight into the emotions and thoughts of others. The social story acts like a role model showing autistic individuals visually how to behave in a socially acceptable way.

Using social skills stories as a strategy for teaching social and communication skills

The goal of any social skills story should be:

To provide ASD individual’s with social cues for situations or skills.

To help the autistic person rehearse a situation, and to respond appropriately

To help prepare the autistic person for routine changes or new experiences.

To reduce negative behaviour.

To help reduce social blunders caused through lack of social understanding.

To help address any communication difficulties

Therefore using social skills stories as a strategy for teaching social and communication skills is beneficial.

Social skills stories are visual strategies that address communication difficulties and provide a visual framework or plan which reduces stress and anxiety as well as giving the ASD individual a chance to rehearse appropriate responses.

Social skills stories work because

They address the “theory of mind”. Many individuals with autism do not act appropriately in social situations, simply because they do not understand that others might have a different opinion to them.

Many individuals with autism fail to understand verbal and nonverbal communications such as wit and humour, or that others may have different opinions, wants and needs to them.

Consequently communication difficulties are common for an ASD individual and social situations can become unpredictable and confusing.

Social skills stories help people with autism read situations and skills better and therefore react and act appropriately.

To learn more about what are social skills stories? And how people with autism can benefit from using these visual strategies to help them address communication difficulties as well as social skills and behaviours visit: